Teammates
by PrairieLily
Summary: Tony, McGee, Ziva, and Palmer go missing. 9 chapters, one posted daily. McAbby, and PalmerJasmine. Chapters 9 of 9 up COMPLETE.
1. Falling from the Sky

**Title:** Teammates

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** With the exception of Jasmine McGee, and the nameless pilot, none of these characters are my creation. McAbby pairing, and Jasmine/Palmer.

**Summary:** Tony, McGee, Ziva, and Palmer go missing.

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**Falling from the Sky**

Abby Sciuto stood in her lab, running various tests on a small mountain of evidence, for a particularly stubborn case the team was investigating right now.

She picked up a glass evidence jar and turned around, and suddenly was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread.

She gasped at the suddenness of it, and the glass jar shattered as slid through her fingers and hit the floor.

…………………………………………………………

They didn't know what hit them.

One minute they were in the air, in the small passenger plane that had taken Tony, McGee, and Ziva out of D.C. on a case. They were accompanied by Jimmy Palmer, Ducky's young morgue assistant, who had been called home suddenly for a family emergency.

The next minute, a deafening roar, and a bone-jarring, mind-blowing, earth-shattering crash changed their reality into that of their worst nightmares.

Tony was the first to stir. He didn't know how long he'd been out, but judging by his watch, which he had happened to glance at, at that split second moment that divided before and after, he knew it couldn't have been more than a few moments. He slowly tried to move, cognizant that he could be injured, and found himself to be more or less intact.

He looked to his left, where McGee had been sitting. The Junior Agent was also stirring awake, and was sporting a nasty cut on his temple. The bleeding had been profuse enough, judging by the looks of it, but Tony knew that facial cuts always bled worse than they really were. He reached over and shook McGee's shoulder.

McGee slowly turned and looked at Tony. "What the hell was that?" he asked, still in a bit of a daze.

Tony shook his head, then looked around, noting two of their number were missing.

"Where's Ziva? And Jimmy? Damnit, he's the closest thing we've got to a doctor."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, Tony? Because if it is, it isn't working." McGee said, groggily. He slowly moved his limbs around, as Tony had done, and found that he was also more or less okay.

"I'm gonna check on the pilot," McGee said, arising out of his seat. "You look for Ziva and Palmer." Tony blinked. "They were across the aisle. But across the aisle is gone now," he said, noting the gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.

When McGee's footsteps had stopped, as he reached the cockpit, Tony sat a moment, listening. Things were quiet - too quiet. He'd never admit it, but it was giving him the goosies. He got up carefully, and went to look for their missing colleagues.


	2. Harsh Realities

**Harsh Realities**

Before McGee even reached the cockpit, he knew.

If he'd had a chance to really think about it, he would have admitted that maybe he was developing some of that famous gut instinct that Gibbs was gifted with.

But at the time, maybe it was his other senses. Those five senses that he had learned about as a young boy, in elementary school. The five senses that he knew for absolute scientific fact he had.

It was, in part, the silence. The eerie lack of sound. There was no voice coming from the pilot's area. No moans of pain, or sounds of movement, or cries for help, as the pilot struggled to extricate himself from the wrecked plane.

But what had clinched the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, was the smell. Mingling with the acrid stench of everything else, almost overwhelming it, was a horrifyingly familiar heavy metallic odour.

McGee knew well enough by now, had been to enough crime scenes, to recognize that smell.

Blood, and lots of it.

He swallowed hard as he looked in.

The gash from flying windshield glass had gone deep, and the deadly chunk remained lodged in the pilot's throat. McGee didn't know how long it had taken the man to bleed out, and wondered if the shock had killed him first. But, he knew that in either case, it didn't matter now. He sighed and turned away. There was nothing he could do for him now, and they still had two of their people to find.

…………………………………………………………

Abby suddenly blinked back to reality, and stared at the floor, almost in disbelief. She turned as she heard the lab doors open, and watched as Gibbs walked casually into the lab.

"Abs, what the hell happened?" he asked, suddenly worried, as he saw the shattered jar on the floor.

Abby looked at him, almost guiltily. "Jar slipped," she said, weakly.

Gibbs knew better, though. Abby was like a daughter to him, and he knew her almost as well as he knew himself. "Bull," he stated flatly. "Something's wrong, Abby."

She nodded, and gazed up at him, her green eyes filled with fear. "I just got this really hinky feeling, Gibbs. I don't know why. Something's really really wrong."

"You get hinky feelings all the time, Abs. Sometimes you're just overreacting." Abby just shrugged her shoulders. "This was different, Gibbs. I wish I could tell you more." She turned away from him suddenly, and reached out for the countertop as her head began to spin. "Call Jasmine please?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Gibbs blinked. McGee's sister, and Palmer's girlfriend? He had no idea why Abby suddenly wanted him to call Jasmine McGee. But he suddenly became aware, at her words, of a hinky feeling forming in his own gut.

There could only be one reason why Abby would want Jaz contacted.

McGee and Palmer were together, along with Tony and Ziva. On a plane, en route back to Washington, D.C.

"I'm on it, Abby," he said softly, as he reached over and kissed her temple in that paternal way he had with her. Abby took a ragged breath. "Thanks," she said weakly.


	3. Coping in the Storm

**Coping in the Storm**

Tony found Palmer first.

The young man was sitting up, moving carefully, testing his limbs and joints, trying to assess whatever damage his body might have sustained.

"Jimmy, you okay?" he asked, worried, as he approached him. Palmer looked up at him. "I think so." Tony grimaced slightly as he noticed a nasty bump beginning to form on the younger man's head, with a tiny rivulet of blood trickling down the side of his face from it.

"Have you seen Ziva?" Tony was looking around even as he said the words, trying to spot the missing woman.

"She was sitting next to me, but I haven't seen her since… I'm not sure when I saw her last. What the hell happened, Tony?"

Tony shrugged. "No idea. Doesn't matter now anyway." He turned as he heard footsteps behind him.

McGee's face was grim, and Tony almost knew without asking, what he'd found in the cockpit.

"Pilot?" Tony finally asked, whispering. McGee said nothing, simply shaking his head.

"Jimmy, you okay?" McGee asked, turning to him. "Yeah, I think so," came the reply. He rose to stand, and wobbled a bit, feeling his head suddenly spin.

Tony and McGee rushed to his side, to hold him up. Palmer closed his eyes for a moment, "That was one hell of a head rush," he said, trying to brush off their concerns. "I'm fine, really. We have to find Officer David," he said.

"You're the closest thing we've got to a doctor, Jimmy. Can you handle that?" Palmer looked at Tony. "No pressure there," he muttered. "Yeah, I think so. Your first aid is up to date, right?" McGee and Tony shared a brief look, as they both nodded. "Recertified last month," McGee confirmed.

"Any idea where she could have ended up? Obviously she was thrown," Tony asked. Palmer thought a moment, looking around at their surroundings.

"Well, judging by where she was, and where I was, and where I ended up, we should probably look over here, first,"he finally said, leading the way.

The three men had barely taken a dozen steps when they heard a low moan, and a slight rustling of leaves and other ground debris.

"Ziva," McGee said, relief flooding his voice, as they followed the sound, and rushed to her side.

They were met with silence, as the Mossad officer lapsed back into unconsciousness.

…………………………………………………………

"Abby, what's going on? Why did you have Gibbs drag me in here?" Jasmine wasn't annoyed at her brother's girlfriend, so much as worried about her reasons for having her summoned.

Abby looked up as Jasmine approached, still in her paramedic uniform. "Did I call you away from work?" Abby asked, suddenly.

Jasmine shook her head. "I was just coming off shift. Don't worry about it, Abs. What's going on?"

"I wish I knew. Something's wrong though. Gibbs called the airport. Our guys are on their way back… But… Jaz, they should have been here by now. It's only a 90 minute flight, and Tim called me right before they boarded the plane."

Jasmine nodded. "Tim. That's why you've got this hinky feeling. And it's the others too, right?"

Abby nodded. She had hoped that Jasmine's usual optimism and warm green eyes would offer reassurance that she was just being stupid. Instead, the young woman's reaction had only reinforced her fears.

Jasmine reached out for her friend, and she hoped, her eventual sister-in-law. "I'm sure they're fine," she soothed. Abby clung to her, closing her eyes, trying to summon some kind of feeling that would tell her that their people were okay.

But no such feeling was to be had.

…………………………………………………………

"Tim, immobilize her head please. She might react badly if she wakes up and finds Tony's knees wrapped around her head," Palmer said, grinning briefly. The two agents smiled at this. Who knew that Jimmy had a sense of humour?

"If she wakes up, tell her what I'm doing so she doesn't panic and try to move around," Palmer directed, as he donned gloves from the first aid kit.

Starting at her arms, he carefully worked his way over her entire body, checking for obvious injury and bleeding, that may have been concealed by her clothing and her position on the ground.

As he reached her legs, he looked up. "Damnit," he softly cursed. "Tony?" he asked, gesturing the older agent over with a shake of his head. McGee looked worried as Tony moved over to where Palmer was. "Hold her leg, right here," he directed. Tony looked at him. "She'd have to be unconscious for me to get away with this," he noted, with a humourless smile.

Tony grasped her thigh, roughly 12 inches above her knee, as Palmer gingerly felt the unnatural bump on her leg, and noted the strange position. "Her leg is definitely broken," he said, as McGee held her head steady. She moaned softly and opened her eyes as she felt the pain in her leg intensify momentarily. "It's out of place. It has to be reset before we can splint it." He noticed that she had woken up, and felt it unnecessary to point out to them that a fractured femur held it's own special potential for complication. They all had first-aid training. They didn't need to be told about the artery running along the bone.

McGee reached down and grasped her hands in his. "Sorry, Ziva," he whispered softly. "This has to be done. Squeeze my hands as hard as you have to," he said, trying to reassure her. He moved his hands, still grasping hers, down to her sides, and held them down firmly. He took a deep breath, readying himself for the inevitable reaction from Ziva.

Tony looked at Palmer, as he repositioned his hands on her leg. "On the count of five," he said. Jimmy nodded.

"One… two… three…"

Ziva screamed and her body tensed and recoiled as Palmer yanked her broken bone into place. McGee winced and could have sworn he felt a bone crack in one of his hands, as Ziva gave them a mighty squeeze.

"That wasn't five," she hissed, fighting back involuntary tears, and gasping for breath.

"The element of surprise is sometimes the best way to go," Palmer shrugged. He carefully examined the injured limb. "Good news. That seems to have worked the first time."

"Officer David," he started, before Ziva glared at him. "Mr. Palmer, what have I asked you many times?"

Palmer cleared his throat. "Sorry. Ziva."

Tony got up and gestured McGee to follow. "Guys, we're gonna try and track down that splint," he called behind him. "It wasn't with the first-aid kit, but it has to be around here somewhere."

Palmer nodded at them, then turned back to Ziva. "You don't seem to have any other injuries, at least not obvious ones. But we need to get you back to the fuselage, for when search and rescue comes looking. Don't worry, Ziva. We'll get you out of here. You'll be kicking Tony's butt again in no time at all."

Ziva nodded. She knew she'd have a few moments grace before Tony and Tim returned with the splint. "You have a nice bedside manner, Jimmy." He smiled. "Thanks. But I don't really need it where I work." He chuckled softly and shook his head slightly with irony, then sighed and looked around, listening for signs of rescue. When he heard none, he turned his attention back to Ziva.

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness again, was the concerned face of Jimmy Palmer, gazing down at her.


	4. Crisis Management

**Crisis Management**

"Air traffic control lost contact with their plane 40 minutes ago. It vanished from their radar. They're looking for them right now." Gibbs walked briskly into the lab, followed close behind by Ducky.

Abby swallowed and closed her eyes. Jasmine reached out and took her hand, squeezing it.

"Abigail, Jasmine… I'm sure they're fine," Ducky said soothingly, as he moved over to the two women. He opened his arms and embraced them both at the same time.

"Damnit, how many times does Tony have to almost die before it gets old," Abby muttered, trying to sound brave. "I swear sometimes he's such a one-trick pony."

"They all have first-aid training," Ducky pointed out, "and Mr. Palmer is a medical student. We know they're missing, and they are being searched for as we speak."

"My brother never could do things the easy way," Jasmine muttered. "Hop a plane, come home. Was that so damned difficult?" Gibbs smiled slightly, grateful for the brave fronts. He had not the time for comforting words, when three of his people, and one of Ducky's, were missing.

"Mr. Palmer sometimes has a rather roundabout way of getting from point A to point B," Ducky said, nodding slightly. "I really must have a little chat with him about that, when he gets back."

"Didn't Ziva have a spa weekend planned with you ladies?" Gibbs asked. Abby and Jasmine nodded. "She loves our spa weekends. She wouldn't miss it for anything," Abby said, smiling slightly. Jasmine laughed softly. "Wherever she is, she's probably swearing at the delay. I can already hear her accent becoming heavier. You can usually tell how pissed off she is by how heavy her accent gets." Gibbs reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. Jasmine McGee probably had the most to worry about, with both her brother and her boyfriend suddenly MIA.

Gibbs sighed. His people were probably fine… but nobody could ever say that Tony could avoid trouble like the plague. They all knew how good he was at avoiding the plague.

He thought about how close he had come, on numerous occasions, to losing various members of his team, and sometimes all of them at once. He thought about the one that he had lost, how close he had come to losing Tony just two weeks before that, and how close he had come to losing them all to a car bomb, the day that Tony had returned to work. He thought about how close he had come to losing both McGee and Abby, the day after that - the same day he had lost Kate. Then Ducky… he wasn't sure if Ari had ever planned to actually kill Ducky, or if he had simply opted to use him as bait, that night he had abducted their Medical Examiner and friend.

His team was nothing if not resilient. And they were resourceful. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, muttering, "I need coffee."

…………………………………………………………

"Damnit. Tony, I found the splint."

Tony looked over to where McGee was kneeling, rummaging though rubble and wreckage.

McGee held up two pieces of what used to be thelonger splint board.

"Guess we'll have to find something else, then," Tony said, sighing heavily. McGee stood up, tossing down the broken pieces of wood disdainfully. "I'm gonna see what else I can dig up that might be useful," he said, moving away to another area close by.

When he returned, Tony saw that he had his trench coat draped over one arm. "We can use this to keep her warm," he said. Tony looked up and nodded, then returned to his search.

"Sweet!" Tony called out, suddenly. He pulled a large, flat, solid object from the rubble. "I found the back board! Maybe we can use that to get her back to the fuselage."

"Let's go then," McGee said, turning to lead the way.


	5. Stubborn Vigilance

**Stubborn Vigilance**

By the time Tony and McGee had reached Ziva and Palmer again, they started to have concerns that they might not be found before sunset.

"We have to get her back to the plane ASAP," Tony quietly observed. McGee simply nodded. "Still no cell service?" he asked. Tony shook his head. I left it on though. For GPS."

"I'm sure they know we've gone down, right?" Palmer asked, sounding unsure of himself. Tony nodded. "Yeah. We would have vanished from their radar. I'm sure they have a general idea how to find us."

Palmer glanced worriedly down at Ziva, who had finally fallen into a real slumber, instead of simply losing consciousness again. "We have to get her to a hospital. I don't know for sure what other injuries she has. Guys, I'm not a doctor yet, and even if I was…" He shook his head helplessly. For the first time since their ordeal had begun, Palmer was beginning to sound unsure of himself.

McGee nodded grimly. "Even if you were, there's only so much you can do out here. We know, Jimmy. Don't beat yourself up. We're fortunate to have you."

"I never would have had the stones to reset her leg like that," Tony said. McGee smiled, reassuringly. "We're proud of you, Jimmy." Palmer smiled at them gratefully. "Thanks. Well," he sighed, glancing worriedly down at Ziva, "in the meantime we need to keep her warm. The last thing we need is for her to go into shock."

McGee stepped forward, draping his coat over her. "I knew this thing would come in handy someday," he said, grinning briefly. He gently tucked Ziva in, softly brushing her cheek with his hand. "It's so weird to see her like this. I mean, she's one of the strongest women I know."

"I hear ya, Probie," Tony said, going over and crouching down on her other side. "Hey, if any of us could handle this, it's her. I'd be whining like a kicked puppy."

Palmer and McGee both snorted. "Yeah, well… all the women I've ever known have managed at one time or another to point out how most men are just big babies," McGee said. Palmer chuckled softly. "In their humble opinion, of course. Jasmine tells me that all the time." McGee smiled at him knowingly, "Tell me about it. She grew up telling me what a wimp I was, just because I was a boy."

Their attention turned suddenly to Ziva, as she began to stir again. "You _are_ all just big babies," she said, sleepily.

"Nothing wrong with her hearing," Tony observed. "We should probably get her back to the fuselage," McGee pointed out.

"Ziva, this is going to hurt us more that it'll hurt you," Tony tried to soothe. "Somehow I doubt that very much," she replied. "It has to be done. I understand that. Do what you must, but please do it quickly." She sounded tired, and resigned to her immediate fate.

When they had their improvised splint - some solid pieces of wreckage that were more or less straight - the three men surrendered their ties, including a couple of spares that McGee had retrieved from his and Palmer's suitcases, to secure it. "This was my most expensive one, too," Tony grumbled.

"How do we know when it's tight enough?" McGee asked. Palmer took on a serious expression. "We apply tension until her bellybutton pops up. Then it's tight enough." He managed to remain straight-faced for a few seconds longer, before Ziva, in spite of her extreme discomfort, erupted in a fit of giggling. Tony and McGee smiled in spite of themselves. "Seriously, Jimmy," Tony said, shaking his head with amusement. Palmer smiled as he checked, then looked up at them. "That should be good. The main thing is that her leg remains supported by the splint."

When they'd finally gotten her ready to move, it had yet to be decided who would support her torso.

"She'd kill me," Tony said, flatly. McGee raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Tony. Don't you remember that undercover assignment last year?"

"Yeah. So does she. That's my point, McGee." Palmer snorted. "Someone has to." Tony levelled a look at him. "So why don't _you_ do it then, Autopsy Boy?"

Palmer smiled sweetly. "Because someone has to support her leg. Someone with more medical training than you have. Unless you want us to have to reset it again?"

McGee sighed. "Fine then, I'll do it. I don't think she'd mind my arms wrapped around her chest. Well… okay, she would. But she'd mind it less than you, Tony."

Slowly, carefully, they carried their injured colleague back to the relative safe haven of the fuselage. Once there, they settled in, and waited for rescue.

…………………………………………………………

Abby and Jasmine sat quietly in the squad room, waiting for news.

Gibbs was trying to concentrate on the current case, the one that had sent his team out of D.C. in the first place. But, as he was quickly discovering, his attention span left much to be desired.

Ducky had returned to autopsy, like Gibbs, in an attempt to carry on and push his fears aside.

But he remembered all too well what it was like to lose Caitlin, to do her post-mortem. He didn't relish the idea of doing it for Anthony, Timothy, Ziva, and especially Jimmy.

So, he tried, as best he could, to put the idea out of his head.

Anthony was resourceful, and stubborn as a jackass. He never gave up easily, or without one hell of a fight.

Timothy had a lot more going for him than anyone imagined, and he, like Anthony, was very stubborn, once he got an idea into his head. That determination, and stubborn insistence that he _was_ right, had saved his backside more than once.

Ziva was one of the strongest and most independent women he had ever met. Oh, yes. And she was stubborn, as well. Now that he thought about it, perhaps it was a pre-requisite for working with Jethro.

And Jimmy… well, hopefully he would do those years he'd spent as a Boy Scout justice. And who knew? Maybe his young assistant would prove himself to be more than just, "Yes Sir, No, Sir." Provided of course, that Mr. Palmer was still alive.

Ducky recoiled slightly at the thought. His attempts at not thinking the worst had happened were clearly beginning to fail.

He sighed heavily, and shook his head sadly.

…………………………………………………………

Upstairs, Gibbs had finally given up on productive work. He looked over to Abby, who had stationed herself at McGee's desk, and Jasmine, who had borrowed Ziva's chair, and sat beside Abby. Both women looked pre-occupied with their own thoughts.

"Abs, why don't you go home?" he gently suggested. Abby gave him a withering glare, followed quickly by Jasmine's classic McGee Scowl, the one that Gibbs had learned to recognize from her big brother as being his way of conveying extreme annoyance, without actually resorting to outright insubordination.

"Okay, so don't go home," he muttered to himself.

"Agent Gibbs, you don't seriously think we're going to just go home like good little girls and wait for news? I should think you'dknow us better by now." Jasmine was giving him a steady look.

"Yeah, Jaz. You're right, I do know you better than that. At least, go wait in the break room? I'm sure you'd be more comfortable there."

"Gibbs, we're perfectly comfortable where we are," Abby said, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

Gibbs knew better, but also knew enough not to pick a fight with these two women. He sighed softly and tried to return to the task at hand, still waiting for him patiently on his desktop.


	6. Found

**Found**

The small group was dozing lightly when the sounds of the helicopter became audible in the distance.

As it grew nearer, and louder, McGee was the first to stir.

"Tony, do you hear that?" he asked, drowsily.

Tony was startled awake by the voice of his teammate. "What, McGee?" he said, before fully awakening.

"Chopper," McGee said, taking a deep breath and shaking his head fully awake.

Tony looked at Palmer, peacefully dozing with Ziva's head in his lap. "Awwww. Look, Tim. Our little boy looks so sweet when he's sleeping."

McGee rolled his eyes as he turned his head towards the sound of the approaching helicopter. "You think they've found us, or they're still just looking?" he asked.

Tony quickly reverted from smartass to deadly serious without missing a beat, in true Tony style, as he shook his head. "Not sure. They must have located the plane, and we're in the fuselage."

McGee nodded, satisfied at the answer. He reached over and gently gave Palmer a nudge.

"Palmer, wake up. Palmer. _Jimmy, wakey wakey_," he said, trying to rouse him.

Palmer took a sudden deep breath, as he opened his eyes. "What?" he said, then as he fully awoke, his face turned towards the sky. "Chopper?" he asked, turning to the two men.

They nodded at him, as Ziva stirred awake.

……………………………………………………………………………

"Special Agent Gibbs, we've found the plane, but we need to return to base for supplies and to refuel."

Gibbs swallowed, and covered the mouthpiece of the phone.

"They found the plane. But they had to return to refuel."

Jasmine jumped up. "I want to go. I'm a paramedic, I can help."

Abby shook her head. "Jaz, I'm sure they've got adequate emergency medical personnel."

Jasmine looked at her and sighed with exasperation. "Damnit, that's not the point, Abs!"

Gibbs thought a moment, and moved his hand away from the receiver. "We have a certified paramedic here who wishes to accompany you. With your permission, of course." He listened a moment, then turned to Jasmine and nodded.

She smiled briefly with relief, then got up and readied herself to go. "Tell them I'll be there ASAP."

"Damned right you'll be," Gibbs said. "I'm driving. Abby, I want you in Autopsy with Ducky. No reason. I just think you should be together."

Abby nodded wordlessly, and got up to head to the elevator that would take her downstairs.

……………………………………………………………………………

"I wonder where they went?" Palmer asked, worried.

McGee and Tony shared a concerned look. Finally, Tony shrugged. "Maybe once they found us they went back to base to kit themselves out properly. I mean, we're not exactly going anywhere."

McGee nodded at this. "Yeah, Jimmy. Don't worry about it. I'm sure that's probably what happened."

Ziva stirred again, moaning slightly with pain. Palmer reached down and stroked her cheek, trying to comfort her. He leaned over and whispered to her, "Shhh, Ziva. It's almost over." She nodded weakly as once again, McGee and Tony looked at each other, worry etching their faces.

The three men turned suddenly to the jagged entrance to their shelter, as they heard footsteps shuffling through the fallen leaves and other forest debris.

McGee got up first, and stepped outside, and gasped as he walked right into the relieved arms of his baby sister.


	7. Godspeed

**Godspeed**

Abby sat at Palmer's desk in the morgue, watching Ducky finish up an autopsy.

The older man sensed the intense green eyes on him, and turned to gaze at her, with an almost paternal reassurance in his eyes. "Abigail, I'm sure it won't be long before we receive word that they've been safely brought back to us," he said to her. "Search and Rescue must be careful how they proceed, you know that, my dear."

She fidgeted slightly. "I know… but the waiting is driving me nuts, Duckman."

"I don't like it either, Abigail. I've never told him this, but Jimmy is almost like a son to me. And if you ever tell him I said that, I will personally arrange to perform your autopsy myself." He winked at her, blue eyes sparkling.

Abby giggled softly. "My lips are sealed. But you might try telling him that you care, in case this ever happens again. God forbid, of course."

Ducky nodded. "You are, of course, correct, dear girl. I trust that Timothy knows how you feel about him?" Abby smiled bashfully, almost to herself. "Yeah, I think he does. I try to tell him as often as I can, I mean, since Kate… well, it's not like we've got forever. We like to think we do, but we don't."

"Our friends find themselves in dangerous situations nearly every day, don't they? It is the nature of the beast, I'm afraid." Ducky stripped off his gloves and removed his apron and cap. He grabbed an extra chair and wheeled it over. "It's important that they know we care. If Caitlin's death has taught us anything, it's that we must be honest with ourselves and the people who mean the most to us."

Abby felt her composure begin to dissolve, and she reached up to stop a tear that was threatening to make its way down her cheek, leaving behind it a trail of black makeup.

"Tony's like the best brother ever. And Tim… I can't lose him, Ducky. I love him too much. And Ziva is just… I can't lose another girlfriend like I lost Kate. It took so long to get myself to the point where I really really like her. Jasmine is practically my sister and she loves Jimmy so much. It would be like losing family to lose him too."

"Oh, Abigail," Ducky said, shaking his head sadly. "To lose _any_ of them… wouldn't be _like_ losing family. It _would_ be losing family." He wheeled over and wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, and finally let her tears flow freely.

……………………………………………………………………………

"She has a broken femur, all sorts of contusions and minor cuts. She could have internal injuries but I haven't seen any signs of it." Palmer filled them in as quickly and as thoroughly as he could.

It had taken Palmer a few moments to extricate himself from the arms of his girlfriend, who, if not for her professionalism, would have fallen apart at the seams with relief at finding her brother and her boyfriend alive and well.

She and the other rescue personnel quickly examined the four crash victims, and came to the rapid conclusion that, aside from some bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts, and a general mental state of "stressed out six ways from Sunday," the men were basically okay.

They quickly tended to Ziva, transferring her, with everyone's help, into the basket that would lift her up and into the helicopter. It was then up to the three men to decide which of them would accompany her.

"My bump is the size of a nickel," McGee pointed out. "Jimmy's is the size of a quarter. He should go."

Palmer shook his head. "Sorry, Tim. Tony's got us both beat. His is the size of a silver dollar. I'm afraid that as the closest thing to a doctor that we've got, I have to pull medical rank and insist that he go with Ziva."

Tony shrugged. "Fine. See you guys at the hospital," he said, as he turned to leave.

"Tony," McGee called out. Tony turned briefly. "Yeah, Probie?"

"Give Abs a hug for me?"

Tony chuckled softly. "Of course, Tim. But she'll be happier when you're there to do it yourself. I'll call her as soon as we're there."

"Godspeed," Palmer called out, waving. Tony waved back, as he dashed to catch up with the rescuers.


	8. Reminiscing Over Awkward Times

**Reminiscing Over Awkward Times**

McGee and Palmer looked to the sky as they heard the chopper lift off and fly away into the distance. They glanced at each other, relief evident in their faces, and sat down in the wreck of the plane to wait for their own ride to arrive.

They were silent for a few moments, until McGee said, "I meant what I said earlier, Jimmy. About being proud of you." Palmer looked at him with a reflective expression, and a small smile began to play over his face.

"Thanks, Tim. You know it still feels weird calling you that."

"It _sounds_ weird to be called that. Good weird, though. You know, there was a time when Kate was the only one who ever called me Tim… I mean, Ducky calls me Timothy, but everyone else… " He paused a moment, to get himself back on subject. "Anyway, the way you handled things out here today… I have a whole new respect for you now. Any doubts I might have had left about you seeing Jazzy are pretty much gone now."

Jimmy said nothing at first, simply nodding in acknowledgement. "That means a lot, it really does… wait a minute… you had doubts?" His eyes glittered mischievously as McGee grinned at this and chuckled softly. Finally, after a moment, Palmer continued, "We've had some rough moments… I don't think I'll ever forget that day Abby and I got glued together. You know, I still think you really could have used a bit more acetone to separate us."

McGee chuckled softly. "Yeah, well… I was agitated. And Abby was giving me that look. Anyway, it's good we can laugh about that stuff now."

Jimmy nodded, still chuckling. "Yeah, it is, isn't it? I was a bit nervous when Jaz and I started seeing each other seriously. But you've been really cool about it. I really really appreciate your trusting me."

McGee shrugged. "You've never given me any reason not to trust you. Even after that, er…" he said, then leaned over and whispered secretively, "Poison ivy incident." He leaned back again and grinned warmly, as Jimmy blushed slightly at the memory of catching Tim with his pants literally down. "Anyway, the only tears I've seen my sister shed over you have been happy ones, believe me. She's had more than her fair share of jerks for boyfriends over the years, so I can tell the difference."

"I hope Dr. Mallard is okay," Jimmy suddenly said. McGee looked off into the distance for a moment. "I'm sure he's fine. He's got Gibbs, and Abby. And Jaz, it turns out, too. I'm more worried about Ziva."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. I don't know if she'll need surgery on that leg or not. I hope I didn't damage anything when I reset it. But honestly, Tim… other than some cuts and scrapes, I didn't see anything seriously wrong. We managed to prevent her from going into shock, there were no obvious signs of internal injury. I don't think she even whacked her head like we did."

"Yeah, well… we're probably the only ones hard-headed enough to withstand it." McGee chuckled as Palmer grinned in agreement. "Seriously, you think she'll be fine?" McGee asked, still sounding slightly apprehensive.

"Oh, yeah. She didn't survive falling out of the sky with the likes of us only to take a bad turn _after_ being rescued. Relax, Tim. She's fine. I'm almost certain of it. Anyway, she can handle it. You were right earlier, Officer David is one of the strongest women I know, too."

"Hey, you hear that?" McGee asked, his eyes turned skyward. Palmer smiled slightly. "Sounds like we're about to blow this pop stand too,"he said.

The two men waited until they heard the sound grow louder, and then settle, then waited for Jasmine to reappear through the trees, hands extended, to take them home.

……………………………………………………………………………

Abby had been at the hospital, waiting with Gibbs and Ducky, when Tony and Ziva arrived.

Tony was nearly bowled over when she launched herself at him, clinging to him like she thought she might never see him again.

Which, she wasn't entirely sure, up until that point, that she would.

"Abs," he laughed softly. "Abs, I'm fine, really. Ziva's just got a broken leg." She buried her face in his shoulder as she tried to regain her composure.

"Tim?" she finally asked, unable to hide the fear in her voice.

Tony pulled her away from him, enough to look her in the eyes. "Tim is fine. He's got some bumps and scrapes, like me, but he's just fine." He noticed Ducky's expectant face gazing at over at him.

"Jimmy's fine too, Ducky," Tony called over to the older man. "You would have been proud of him. He was a real pro. We were lucky to have him there."

Ducky nodded, somewhat relieved, and a little proud, too. "How is he?" he asked, still slightly apprehensive.

"Well, he's got some bumps and scrapes too. But he was well enough to take control of the situation when we found Ziva, set her leg, crack a few jokes to make us feel better, help us move her back to the plane." Ducky smiled and closed his eyes. Tony was sure he was saying a silent prayer of thanks. Tony laughed softly. "He's got a great bedside manner, Duck. Too bad it's wasted in autopsy."

"Where are they?" Abby suddenly asked, as Jasmine walked into the waiting room.

"Tim and Jimmy are still at the crash site. I'll be leaving in a few minutes with the chopper to go get them. Tony, you're wanted in the ER. The docs want to check you out thoroughly."

"How is Ziva?" Gibbs asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. The tone gave Tony a start - when Gibbs sounded like that, he knew the older man was feeling shaken. Jethro Gibbs just did not get shaken.

Jasmine smiled at him and touched his arm. "Her leg is broken, she's in x-ray right now to assess how bad the break is. The doctor was impressed with how it looked when she got here though. Naturally I had to brag my boyfriend up, tell him how he and his two companions had taken care of her."

"Does she have any other injuries, besides her leg?" Gibbs asked. Jasmine turned to take Tony's arm, to steer him towards the E.R. "Doesn't look like it. Minor abrasions and such. Nothing some time and neosporin won't cure."

"How long will Tim and Jimmy be?" Abby asked, sounding impatient. Jasmine moved over to her friend and hugged her. "Leaving right now to get them." Gibbs reached out and grasped Tony's arm. "DiNozzo," he said quietly, his voice catching slightly, "if you ever pull a stunt like this again, I will fire your ass _so_ fast…" Tony smiled sheepishly. "Got it Boss. I'm sorry we gave you such a scare." Gibbs nodded, "Welcome back, Tony. I really didn't need the prospect of burying my team."

"I understand... I guess today just wasn't a good day to die, Boss," Tony said softly, as Jasmine gave him a gentle shove towards the door, as she herself turned once again to leave.

Gibbs, Ducky and Abby watched as she headed out the doors, and towards the awaiting helicopter on the landing pad.


	9. All That Really Matters

**All that Really Matters**

When a battered, but not broken, pair of NCIS personnel walked into the hospital, with a very relieved paramedic's arms linked into their own, it was all Abby could do not to run over to them and knock one of them over with joy.

Instead, she opted to hold back, and at least let them get within 10 feet, before sprinting towards them.

Tim released his sister's arm and opened his own as Abby came running at him. He held her tightly when she threw her arms around him, and couldn't stop the stupid grin from gracing his face.

"Oh, hey," he said, chuckling softly, as he felt her silent tears soak through his shirt. "I'm fine. I might have a really funky scar on my temple, but I'm just fine otherwise."

Abby loosened her grip enough to back up slightly, so she could look him in the eyes and be sure for herself that he wasn't trying to feed her a line of bull.

He grinned at her, green eyes warm with relief, and a dozen other emotions that melted her heart. "Don't you EVER do that to me again, Timothy," she said sternly. Tim took on a mock serious expression. "Yes, ma'am," he said, winking. He reached down and touched her face tenderly. "Seriously, Abs. I'm so sorry we made you worry." She lifted her face slightly to kiss him, and they only broke away from each other when Tony was heard saying, "Ah, getta room. All of ya. Jeez, what _is_ it with the McGees, anyway?" Tim glanced over and found his sister in a very similar embrace with Palmer. Jasmine noticed her brother's eyes on her and winked, then waggled her eyebrows slightly. Tim rolled his eyes and chuckled at her. "Palmer, I'm not seeing this, am I?"

"Seeing what…uh… what was your name again?" Jimmy was completely oblivious, and Jasmine was loving every single minute of it.

Palmer and Jasmine released each other only when Ducky approached them. "Mr. Palmer. We really _must_ have a chat about your rather unusual methods of returning to work." Ducky smiled at him, the relief in the older man's face very evident. "Sorry, Dr. Mallard. The map was upside-down. It's a miracle we didn't end up in Canada." Ducky shook his head, laughing softly, then held out his hand. "I hear you would have made me proud, Jimmy. Nicely done, my boy." Palmer accepted the offered handshake, then pulled his mentor into a quick, macho embrace. He clapped his back briefly before releasing him, completely unaware of how grateful the older man was for the gesture. "I'm sorry I worried you, Doctor." Ducky nodded, smiling sadly. "No worries, Jimmy. It wasn't your fault, after all. But it has made me realize how blessed I really am." Palmer looked at him quizzically, but said nothing.

Gibbs watched the display patiently, then marched over with some determination...and proceeded to repeat his earlier threat, this time aiming it squarely at his youngest Agent.

"McGee, if you ever do that to me or Abby again, I will fire your ass so fast your head will spin."

McGee smiled slightly, then caught himself, and took on a serious expression. "Got it, Boss. But to be fair, I wasn't the one who crashed the plane."

Gibbs nodded, then reached out, and like he'd done with Tony, gently grasped McGee's arm. "Any idea what happened, Tim?" Once again, Gibbs' voice had taken on that eerie, soft, almost paternal tone that McGee hadn't heard since the night Kate was shot. Slightly unnerved, he looked away for a moment, then glanced at Abby, who still clung to him. "Not really. One minute we were in the air, the next…" he shook his head. His voice became quiet, as he said, "The pilot didn't make it, Boss. Maybe the flight data and voice recorders can shed some light on it."

Tony approached them. "Tim, Jimmy, Doc wants to see you guys next." Jimmy glanced at him in acknowledgement, and regretfully disengaged himself from Jasmine's determined embrace. He brushed her cheek lightly with a slightly lingering kiss, and turned towards the E.R.

"Boss, it must have been some kind of mechanical failure?" Tony speculated. He looked to his younger colleague, who was turning to follow Palmer out of the waiting room. McGee paused a moment, turning back towards the two older men. "I guess, when I think back on it… I didn't realize it at the time, but maybe we dived and then pulled up briefly, before hitting the ground?" He looked to Tony for confirmation of this vague recollection, and Tony seemed to ponder a moment, then nodded in agreement. "I think you're right, that's how I remember it too. I mean, when I think about it. McGee, did you see the terrain from the chopper?" Tim nodded grimly. "It could have been a lot worse, if we'd come down anywhere else other than where we did." Tony took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then looked at Gibbs. "Boss, whatever happened, that pilot died trying to save all of us. I don't care what the black box says."

Gibbs said nothing, as he looked briefly at Abby and Jasmine. He thought to himself that whatever had happened that day, he had once again come far too close to losing his entire team. Tony and Tim had been there to help him ride out the storm when Kate had been killed; Jimmy had been there to give Ducky some kind of purpose, never allowing his mentor to stray off course. Ziva had come along, rubbing some the wrong way, and for others, filling a void that Kate had left with her untimely departure. Now, he realized, she hadn't taken Kate's place, but rather, had helped to heal them and force them to move forward, simply by being herself, and providing a feeling of wholeness to the team, once again. She was just as much a part of his team as any of them were, and losing her would have ripped at his soul just as much as losing either of his boys would have. He decided then and there, that he would be at her bedside when she woke up from the sedative effect of the painkillers. Wild horses wouldn't keep him away.

But, all of the anguished worry was moot now, anyway. Ziva had a broken leg, nothing more. His boys appeared to be fine, and Ducky seemed to be much more at ease now that he knew for himself that his faithful assistant was also none the worse for wear.

His team, his people... his little extended family, was home again, safe, sound, and alive… and that was all that really mattered.

* * *

I want to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE for the beautiful reviews - especially my buddy and favourite Aussie, Guevera/Bec. Bec, your reviews NEVER failed to make me smile and warm my heart. :) 

I actually held on to this story for awhile, not sure if I wanted to post it or not. I'm glad I did, now, obviously. **Thank you everyone** for reassuring me with your wonderful words of encouragement. The reviewers here ROCK.

PrairieLily/Lynda


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